Race of One
by littlemewhatever93
Summary: Isabella is something the world has never known. Found as a seemingly defenseless child by the Cullens, they take her under their wing as she grows into her destiny-a destiny that could surprise even the most imaginative of vampires. WARNINGS: dark!fic, character death, violence. Powerful!Bella, Grey!Bella. No EdwardxBella or JacobxBella. Pairing not decided.
1. Chapter 1

**Extended Summary**: Born to Renee Higginbotham and vampire unknown, Isabella is found and taken in by none other than the Cullen Coven. While they are at a lost as to what exactly she is, some members of the coven are immediately drawn to her, while others are wary as to what her true nature is. Is this child a vicious, cold blooded killer as the Immortal Children? Or a harmless child in need of nuturing? Perhaps its a little of both. In the end, nothing in their wildest imagining could compare to the truth.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**PLEASE READ. **

**This story contains mature themes. It is intended for mature audiences only. This first chapter is one of a darker nature, but all subsequent chapters for the foreseeable future are rather light. That being said, the official warnings for this chapter are nongraphic rape and character death. There is also a sex scene that, while not rape, might be uncomfortable to some viewers. If this is not your forte, it is advised that you click the back button right now. Seriously. **

**For those of you still here, welcome! I hope you enjoy the show. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so please let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight. No money is being made, and I bow to Stephanie Meyer's copyright. Much thanks to her for allowing me to bend and twist her characters to please my sick little delusions. xoxox

**. ... .**

Rain was pouring from the sky in a steady stream, hard and fast. It bounced back off the ground to muddy her clothes even further.

She wasn't quite sure where she was, only vaguely aware of soft soil on her toes and the earthy scent of the forest around her. A constant wave of pain washed over her, blurring her vision and making her knees go weak.

No sooner did she realize the weakness in her knees did she feel them give out from under her. She felt the ground rapidly approaching, and a cry of surprise escaped her lips as her knees landed on the soft forest floor. She heard a muted crunch and another small blossom of pain danced in front of her eyes. It didn't matter; she could hardly feel it in comparison to the rest of her pain. With weak arms, she pulled herself into a sitting position, knowing she didn't have the strength to stand.

A dry sob escaped her lips as she looked down at her body. Her clothes were soiled and torn, and her shoes were long since discarded, due to her feet swelling. Her stomach protruded at an unnatural angle. Her hand went to it, pressing against it to try to lessen some of her pain.

"It's okay, sweet baby, everything is going to be okay," she said quietly. She repeated this in her head like a mantra.

It had been two months since the demon with an angel's face had come to her. Renee Higginbotham had been visiting her grandparents in Shelton, Washington before leaving for her senior trip to Italy later that summer. She had only just graduated high school before coming, and was looking forward to her adventures in the sun.

She closed her eyes as she turned her head up to the heavens opening upon her. The sun. Would she ever see the sun again?

Her sobs grew louder and more desperate as she remembered the first time she saw him.

**. ... .**

Renee had been filling up her grandma's old station wagon when she saw him leaning against a bus stop sign. He was tall, and pale. Of course, everyone was pale in Washington, but not in a way that looked so devoid of life. He was unnaturally beautiful, so much so that she let out a gasp of surprise. His skin was smooth and flawless, as if crafted out of the finest porcelain and then stretched to fit him perfectly. His cheek bones were high and his jaw was subtle yet strong. Long, blonde hair framed his face and he wore clothes of a well dressed buisness man.

At the sound of her gasp, almost as though he had heard it, his eyes had swiveled to hers. His red eyes. _No_, Renee had thought. _Its impossible for someone to have red eyes._ She blushed in embarrassment of being caught staring, and quickly turned away to put the gas nozzle back in place. When she turned back around to go inside and pay, she came face to face with the man she had been observing only a moment prior. He was leaning against her car, observing her appraisingly.

How had he gotten to her so quickly?

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" She said, managing to only squeak once. Having him in such close proximity to her made her nervous. His face had a ferociousness that made her heart race.

"Didn't you?" was his soft reply. He had an accent she couldn't name, but his voice made the hair on her arms stand up.

"I'm...I'm sorry?" She asked, confused.

"I thought I saw you looking at me. I thought you might want to say hello," came the stranger's reply, his voice a seductive purr.

Against the feeling of dread in her stomach, his voice caused a warm tingle between her legs. She felt herself blush again, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Oh...uhm, sorry. I thought...I thought that you were someone I knew. Uhhm...my mistake," she stammered. Renee was not normally shy around boys, in fact she was an extremely curious individual when it came to the opposite sex. This man though, no matter how devastatingly beautiful, only screamed danger to her.

His nostrils flared, and his eyes flashed down her body before returning to her face, with a hungry look in his red eyes. _No_, she thought as she felt a shiver go down her spine, _not red. Dark brown. His eyes are dark brown._

"Oh, I see. Well it was nice talking to you...?"

She cleared her throat nervously, "Renee," she said, forcing a smile so as not to seem rude.

He flashed a smile as well, his teeth gleaming white, but it did nothing to lessen the predatory gleam in his eye. Another shiver traveled down her spine. "It was nice talking to you, Renee."

She smiled again and nodded in response, before anxiously moving around him and going inside to pay. When she came back out, he was gone. She let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until later that night that she realized her relief was premature.

Having gone to sleep early as she always did when with her grandparents, she woke to her empty room and to all of the small hairs on her neck standing straight. She had looked around the room uneasily, unable to shake the feeling she was being watched. Crawling out of bed, she unsteadily made her way to the bathroom, turning on all the lights as she went. When she had returned to her room, she looked under her bed before crawling back under the sheets.

It must have been at least two in the morning when she felt herself being lifted from her bed by two very cold, very hard arms. Groggy from sleep, she made a noise of protest as she tried to roll back over and pull the blankets up.

"Ah ah ah, Renee," a silky voice had come from above her, "Don't struggle, I don't want to hurt you."

In that moment, ice cold fear had trickled down her spine and a horrified gasp escaped her, all the sleep leaving her body in an instant. Her eyes searched for his face without really needing to. She knew who it was deep in her bones.

"_You_," she gasped, her heart in her throat as she stared into his red eyes. Red eyes. Not brown or blue or green. Red.

"Yes, me," he said silkily, chuckling.

Before Renee could draw a breath to scream, they were out her window and blurring down the road at impossible speeds, with him holding her frozen, stiff frame bridal style in his arms.

The scream that had been building in her throat since he had taken her from her room finally escaped her. He came to a stop in a small clearing, and dropped her as soon as the sound escaped her lips.

On the ground, she turned around and looked up at him. He towered over her, his beautiful face made her heart race and her stomach dropped to her knees. "What do you want? What are _you_?!" she found her voice and asked in a panic. Several moments later, he remained silent. "Where are we? How did we get here? You bastard!"

As soon as the curse left her mouth, she felt herself being pulled off the ground by the roots of her hair. He moved so fast that she hadn't seen him come towards her. His face was inches away from hers as she struggled against his grip. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she felt her the roots of her hair rip out of her skin.

"Now, now Renee," the monster said in a hushed tone, "The only time my women are allowed to have a foul mouth is when I'm fucking them. Got it? Now be a good little girl and shut up."

Renee felt herself be dropped and she made to run, only to feel an arm quickly wrap around her waist. She was shoved back in the direction she had run from and felt the earth beneath her. Her breath left her body in a painful exhale.

"You're testing my patience, human. You should be thanking your lucky stars that all I want is your little, hot body. I had to kill four hikers today, so hopefully I can resist your sweet blood." Suddenly he was over her, on top of her body. His lips were at her throat and he inhaled deeply. "I wouldn't push my luck though, sweet Renee, you are extraordinarily _tempting_."

His tounge flicked out and dragged across the skin of her pulse point and she shivered against her will. He was so close that she couldnt think straight. She inhaled his scent and felt the same tingle as she had earlier in the day. A deep shame filled her as she felt the betrayal arousal pool between her legs. A cold, hard realization hit her. She was going to die.

"No...no," she cried as she felt his hands run up her body, squeezing her painfully. "Please don't do this...please don't do this...please...if its money you want you can have it, we have plenty of money. Just please don't..." Hysteria crept up her throat and more tears leaked from her eyes.

"Sweet Renee, I don't want your money," he laughed as he ripped her blouse down the front with a simple flick of his risk. She shrieked and he smiled happily at the sound. "I want your flesh. I want to feel your soft heat around my cold, hard body," he told her as he cupped her bare breast. She moaned as he tweaked her erect peaks.

"That's it, Renee. You want this, I know you do. I can smell you."

He was right, in a way. She could feel her body reacting to him against her will; her breaths came in short pants, her nipples hardened, and she felt her arousal between her thighs. It was strictly chemical. She still tried to struggle against him, but it was useless. His grip on her was as hard as steel.

He continued his assault on her and despite her body's initial betrayal, she didn't find any pleasure in his minstrations. He was hard as stone against her, and he moved so fast that he blurred in her vision. His member was ice, pillaging her over and over again until she felt like she might split in half. His hands were unrelenting on her hips as he brought them up to meet his own, pounding her into the hard ground beneath her.

After what seemed like hours and hours, and it might have been for all Renee knew, he stilled inside her for a moment before looking down at her face. Pulling out of her, he rolled to the side.

"_Christ_, I always forget how amazing you humans feel. So soft and hot compared to me. Like velvet," he said, almost to himself.

Renee stayed quiet, feeling weak and queasy. The man beside her had not moved for several minutes, and she dared to speak.

"Are you going to kill me now?" She asked, her voice cracking. She felt strangely detached from the question as she asked.

"No, sweet Renee, you have pleased me. Your blood is tempting, but I think I might find more pleasure out of your body in the future."

Renee shivered in disgust at the thought of repeating this experience again. She sighed, feeling a fog of tiredness sweep over her. She fought to keep her eyes open.

"You're not human," she mumbled, struggling to stay awake. It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm not," he admitted, as he stood. Renee couldn't find the strength to even sit up. She stayed as she was, curled into a ball on her side, naked as the day she was born.

"What are you?" She asked as the last bit of awareness began to leave her body. His response seemed far away when she heard it.

"_Vampire_."

**. ... .**

Pain pulled Renee from her memories. She gasped at the force of the kick she felt in her womb. Distractedly, she noticed the small imprint of a foot coming out of her stomach. The pain passed to a tolerable level and she felt a surge of emotion for the baby growing inside her. Maybe it was delusional, crazy, suicidal but she had to keep her baby safe.

Even if that meant she had to find its father.

. ... .

When she had woken up in her bed the next morning, with the covers pulled up under her chin as she always slept, she had thought that it had all been a dream. The hope was quickly squashed as her movement caused a tendril of pain between her legs. With a swish of her arm, she pulled the blanket off of her. Tears came again as she observed her naked body, covered in deep, angry bruises.

Not a dream then.

In the short weeks that followed, she knew that something wasn't right with her. She constantly felt weak, and dizzy. More often then not, she couldn't force her food to stay down. Her clothes didn't quite fit right and when she observed her body, other than noticing the bruises gradually fading, she saw a small swell between her hips that hadn't been there previously.

Logically, she knew that if she was pregnant she wouldn't be experiencing these symptoms so quickly. It would be months before she felt morning sickness, not two weeks. Still, day after day passed and her stomach grew in volume. She was terrified of her grandparents finding out, knowing they wouldn't believe what had happened to her.

What was there to believe? That she had been taken in the night by some monster, who was both much stronger and faster than her, and that he had devoured her body with his own? How could she describe the feeling of him, the way that his flesh was carved of stone and his skin was colder than ice? How could she tell them the word that he had spoken?

Vampire.

She couldn't tell her grandparents what had happened. There was no possible way.

It was fifteen days after her first encounter with him that he came to her again.

**. ... .**

Renee was laying in bed at night, praying for dreamless sleep. Ever since that night, she found her night time existance was plagued with torment. When she was awake, she could almost not think about what was happening to her. She could almost forget the small, not-quite-noticeable-enough-to-cause-questions, bump between her hips. She could forget what caused it. Who caused it.

When she slept, however, the images could not stop plaguing her mind. It was almost as though her subconscious had saved every single detail of that night perfectly, things she hadn't even consciously registered at the time, and subsequently proceeded to give her a play by play in her dreams.

Her nightmares.

_Renee could see as though standing above her body, watching as he slinked out of her closet. He must have slipped in there when she had gone to the bathroom earlier. She watched as he loomed over her bedside, watching her in her fitful sleep. He bent down and slowly inhaled her scent, growling almost inaudibly._

_With purpose, he snatched her from her bed, whispering seductively in his venomous voice. Renee watched herself visibly freeze with terror, and then she was being dragged along behind herself and the monster. He was running fast, so fast that even from her third person view it was difficult to comprehend. He only slowed when he approached the clearing where he had destroyed her. Only moments before he arrived, she saw a familiar road sign from when she was younger and her grandparents had taken her out for the day._

_It said 'Welcome to the Olympic National Forest'._

"Renee."

The sound of his voice caused adrenalin and fear to leak down Renee's spine. She opened her eyes, unsure if she had fallen asleep and was in a nightmare.

When she saw him kneeling beside her bed, she realized she was definitely in a nightmare, but not in the way she had been expecting.

When Renee saw his face, so beautiful and inhumane, she knew that she could not be dreaming. Not even her subconscious could compare to the godlike man standing before her, terrible and foreboding. She let out a gasp of fear as her eyes met his bloody gaze.

A million thoughts struck her at once. He was back. He had come for her again, he was going to take her again and he was going to rape her and then her was going to kill her. He was going to kill the little baby growing inside her.

That thought caused another blossom of panic to erupt inside of her. Her baby. She hadn't allowed herself to think much about it, but now that she had she could not stop the feelings it brought. She didn't want to have the baby of a monster. She had no idea what was growing inside of her, of what it would become. What if it was as evil as its father? She could only imagine what kind of blight she could be carrying in her womb, maybe even the antiChrist itself.

But another thought whispered in her mind, seductively behind her eyes. This was her baby, too. She was going to be a mother. It wasn't ideal, but she had always pictured one day having kids. Images of a faceless little girl with long, brown hair that Renee knew she would love to braid danced across her mind. Renee already knew her name. In a wave of fierce protectiveness, for the small baby in her womb that she hadn't even considered a second ago, she did something she never thought she could do.

She kissed the devil on the mouth.

Literally, she pounced on him. If the situation had been funny, she might have even laughed at the look on his face at her attack. She moaned quietly as she pulled herself up against him.

She wasn't stupid, she knew what he wanted from her. He said it himself, before. He wanted her body, and he didn't care that she wasn't welcoming to his desires. She knew without a shadow of doubt that if she struggled against him, he would kill her. So Renee did the only thing she knew she could do.

She gave herself to him. Her thoughts were that if she could make him believe that she wanted this, that she wanted him, then maybe he would let her live another day. For his pleasure, of course.

Pulling away from him, she looked into his eyes with what she could only hope was desire. Her body was effected by his mere presence, almost as though he was releasing some kind of pheromone. Hell, maybe he was for all Renee knew. Either way, she could work it in her favor.

"I've missed you," she said, quietly, after he had remained perfectly still for a few minutes. "I...I didn't know if you were going to come back to me again," she forced out, ignoring the bitter taste on the back of her tongue.

He continued to stare at her, nostrils slightly flared, gazing into her eyes.

"Is that so, sweet Renee?"

His voice was sweet, tilting, but there was an edge to it that Renee heard loud and clear. He smelled deceit.

It was almost as though she were dreaming again, floating above the scene before her. Connected to her body, but seperate.

"Yes," she whispered huskily, ripping the covers off her body. She crawled on her knees towards his kneeling frame, sitting before him with her legs open almost level to his face. She watched his nostrils flare as he inhaled the traitor scent of her arousal. If there was a moment Renee was thankful for her body's painfully shameful reactions, it was now. A lustful edge set to his eyes and he looked up at her now, from his position below.

"I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I don't even know your name. I've been laying here awake, night after night, not knowing how with one night you could have changed me so much," she said, trying to make sure she sounded convincing.

"Changed you?" he questioned, almost with humor.

"I ache for you," she whispered quietly, willing her body to focus on his amazing scent, the way that the moonlight reflected off of his luminous skin. If she could trick her own body, she knew she could trick him.

Grabbing his shoulders, she attempted to pull him up to her. At once she realized that was impossible; he was as immobile as stone. But then, to her surprise, he allowed her to pull him onto her soft bed. She quickly arranged herself so that she was straddling him, not willing to give up her facade of control.

Slowly, not quite hesitantly but with obvious trepidation, she reached out to touch her fingertips to the small expanse of skin showing above the top of his jeans and the bottom of his shirt. Renee looked up to his eyes and saw the same lustful look in them as he had had during their last encounter.

"Let me show you..?" She trailed off, looking at him expectantly, hoping for his name.

He didn't respond to her, instead growling softly, somewhat threateningly.

"Let me show you, " she said again, realizing that no matter how it seemed, he was still calling the shots. With a swift movement she unbuckled the top of his pants, pulling them down his legs before she could lose her nerve. She let out a gasp of surprise when she saw he was going commando. His long, somewhat flaccid member hung intimidatingly near her face.

"What's the matter kitten, all growl with no claws?" He said tauntingly, drawing her attention back to his face. He was observing her in a relaxed manner, his arms behind his head, obviously content to watch her attempt to dominate him.

Renee chose not to answer him, not knowing what she should say. She couldn't allow herself to think too much, she had to stay in the moment to stay alive. For her baby to stay alive.

She took his cock in her hand and squeezed it experimentally, drawing her hand up its length in curiosity. It was just as cold as the rest of his body, but it was somewhat softer and smoother. Not wanting the freezing invasion inside her later, she leaned down swiftly and took the tip of him into her hot, soft mouth.

Renee heard the tell tale sign of success as he stiffened, letting out a very quiet hiss. Just like any other man, she thought almost like a mantra in her mind. Twirling her tongue around the head, her thought was confirmed by the trace of what she assumed was precum she tasted on her tongue. It was cold, like the rest of him, and sour. She shivered as she lowered her mouth on him, taking in every cold inch that she could, until she felt him hit the back of her throat.

The motions came to Renee instinctually, the steady up and down movement of her mouth coupling with her other hand going to his sac, gently massaging them. She was surprised to find them slightly warm to the touch. She moaned softly as her tongue came out along the base of his cock.

"Fuck..." he groaned at the vibration, sounding almost desperate to Renee's ears. Renee heard a the splintering sound of wood, but she couldn't look to see what had caused it. She continued her minstrations on him until he pulled on her, surprisingly gently, to come up. With one last lick along the head, she sat up quickly.

Arranging her hips on top of his, she ground her soaked underwear against his hardened cock, leaning up to kiss his neck hungrily.

"I want you," she whispered against his neck as she placed open mouthed, hot kisses against his ice skin. She backed away from him and he made to stop her, until he realized she was removing her underwear.

"Do you see this?" She whispered huskily as she twitched two fingers around her gleaming, errect clit. Slowly she slipped them into her soaking pussy, moaning as she did so. "I'm so wet for you."

And before he could say anything, Renee removed her fingers and impaled herself on his hard cock. She cried out as her insides stretched to accomidate his girth.

"_Yes_, kitten, oh _fuck_..." he groaned as she lifted her hips off of him, before slowly sinking back down upon him.

Renee lost herself in the sensation of the moment, blocking out all feelings of revulsion until later. She didn't want this but she didn't want to die either. So she focused on the sounds of their union; the wet squelching noise as she rocked her hips upon his, taking him deep and fast inside of herself, her breaths becoming harder and more erratic as the fire between her legs slowly built, the almost silent whisperings from the demon she was giving herself to. She couldn't hear him very well, only catching a few words that made no sense together. She mostly tuned him out, with him talking so quietly that she was sure she wasn't met to hear anyway.

"Oh yes," she gasped as her insides clenched in anticipation. She rocked her hips faster and faster, her body in desperate need for release. "Oh...ohh..ye..yeeeesssss..." she hissed quietly, as she came with a rush of wetness that slid down his cock in a gush. Her movements didn't halt as she came, continuing up and down his cock as if her life depended on it. Which, she reminded herself, it did. And in the back of her mind, she was also aware of her grandparents, who were sleeping obliviously down the hall, and their lives being on the line too.

The demon's hands came to her hips, bringing them down harder onto the base of his cock as she continued her desperate riding of him. It was almost easy for her to forget the fact she didn't want this, this time around. His hands were much more gentle on her flesh, and his eyes, when she dared to look up at them, had a twinkle of something other than lust and desire. She didn't dare to think about what that meant.

Her movements slowly became more erratic as she neared her second orgasm, which quaked her body in violent spasms that started straight in her core. She leaned forward, muffling her violent cries into the curve of his neck as her juices expelled themselves down his cock once more. He seemed to realize she was growing weak, and took control of their union. Holding her hips still, he plunged into her from below, taking her harder and faster than she had been able to do to him. He touched every inch of her, filling her more completely than she had ever been before.

"Ungg...oh...you feel so..so good," she moaned against his unrelenting pace. Sure, his hips slapped against hers painfully as he pushed up into her heat and his hands were unrelenting on her skin as he held her just so, but she could handle that compared to the pleasurable buzz spreading through her body. It was much preferable to being a sobbing victim.

"Oh god, oh god you're gonna make me come again," she groaned into his neck, holding onto him for dear life as he ravaged her pussy. His speed was building, and when she looked down at their bodies she could barely see where he ended and she began.

"Ugnnnhn," she cried out, coming violently once more. She could feel the pool of her wet come on their bodies, and could feel how little resistance he met as he slid in and out easily of her wet, tight cavern.

He growled aggressively as he pushed into her one, two, three more times before stilling inside of her. Renee was dully aware of the coolness spreading inside her womb, what she assumed was his cum floating inside of her.

Her arms felt weak and and she worried she was going to collapse onto his chest. Not wanting to push her luck with him, she went to roll off. He stopped her, pulling her down onto his chest, and keeping their bodies connected. His grip was unyielding as he kept her pressed against him, but he didn't speak. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she felt nauseous. It wouldn't do to have her puke in disgust with herself while he was still here.

"I was planning on killing you tonight, sweet Renee," he spoke suddenly, though his voice was still quiet. "I was planning on ripping your throat open and drinking your sweet blood," his tone was casual, and his nose inhaled heavily at the base of her neck. She shivered against her will.

"But then you surprised me. You gave youself to me, and I must say, you are so much easier to control myself around when you stop acting like my prey," he laughed quietly. "Look, I didn't even break your bed. Its a fucking miracle."

She forced herself to smile, and even forced a small laugh. He moved at the sound and Renee found herself disconnected from his body and moved till she looked straight into his eyes.

"You're different. Different than other humans I've...encountered. I feel as though, if I were to kill you, I might have some regrets," he said, seriously as he gazed at her.

He seemed to be expecting a response from her, even though she had no idea what to say to that. _Oh thanks for possibly feeling bad if you kill me?_ God, she felt sick.

"I...I can be much more useful to you alive..." she whispered, trying to sound casual as she fought to keep her panic at bay.

"I am now aware of that," he conceded with a smirk. "If I could take you now, I would."

"Take me?" She questioned.

"As in, make you like me. Turn you into a vampire. My mate," he explained, surprisingly patient.

Ice filled her stomach. She didn't want to be a monster. She didn't want to drink blood and be so..inhumane. The thought of taking a life was revolting.

"But..you can't?" She asked, confused but hopeful.

"There's a certain...precariousness to my position, sweet Renee. Bringing you into my coven at the moment, it would cause much unrest. There are some things I need to take care of-loose ends, so to speak- before it is suitable to bring you into my home," he explained, running a long, pale finger down the length of her cheek. "But when the time is right, you will be a beautiful immortal, my dear. I only wish you could bring your eyes into your next life; such perfect blue, I have never seen in all my years."

She was quiet as she tried to think of a response. His words were sweet, like honey dripped over a hot stick of malice. She almost could allow herself to believe that he had plans other than to kill her, but she couldn't.

No. Looking into his crimson, bloody eyes she knew with a cold, sharp clarity that this man would lead her to her death.

"But...you know I don't live here, right? I'm leaving here in a few weeks...I'm going to Italy, for the summer," she explained, quietly.

"It doesn't matter where you go, Renee. I'll find you, anywhere in the world."

A shiver went down her spine at his words, in response to how sure he sounded. She definitely believed him.

"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, hating how pathetic she sounded. She almost told him about the baby growing in her womb, but bit her tongue. Renee knew, deep inside, that she wouldn't live to finish the sentence.

"Well, sweet Renee," he said, reaching out to cup her cheek. He forced her to look into his eyes, "It is simple. Go to Italy for some fun in the sun. I will come find you there, and I will change you," he said almost sweetly, before his eyes took on a dangerous gleam. "But if you let another man touch you, Renee, I will know," he threatened. "I will know and I will kill you. Do you understand? You are mine now."

"I..I would never!" She vowed, honesty bleeding in her voice. After this experience, if she lived, she'd never let another man touch her again. "I understand."

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other. I'd hate to have to hurt you," he said, as he stood from her bed. In a blink of her eye, he was properly clothed and approaching her window.

"Wait!" Renee cried out, reaching her hand out to him. "What is your name?" she asked pleadingly. "Please, tell me your name..."

He paused in his stride, before appearing back at her side. She gasped as he was suddenly _on_ her again, pressing her body into her mattress. His lips were on her ear and he whispered his name to her in his seductive purr.

And then he was gone, her window open and a cool breeze spun around her room. Renee flew off her bed, running to the window and slamming it shut with a strangled cry.

She stood there for a moment, in shock. A barrage of emotion tidal waved over her, shame and disgust predominant. Her stomach turned and she slapped a hand over her mouth, running to the bathroom like a bat out of hell. Once she reached the room, she hurriedly shut the door and turned on the tap before promptly emptying her stomach of everything she had eaten earlier.

**. ... .**

And that had been the last time Renee had seen him. It was almost two months after her first encounter with him, and she had left her grandparent's home the week before, when her stomach had gotten so large that there was no way she could hide it. She had packed whatever food and necessitates she could, and drove her car to the only place she knew where to look for him.

The Olympic National Forest, where he had taken her brutally during their first encounter.

When she had left, her sole purpose was to find him. She knew that her body had been growing weak, thin, and brittle as the baby inside her grew. Nothing, absolutely nothing, she ate stayed down. It had been weeks since she had a decent night's rest. All the while, her stomach had protruded exponentially. Her weakness was her baby's health, it seemed.

Renee wasn't stupid; she knew that she was dying. She was starving, dehydrated, and exhausted. She knew that if this slow torture continued, her heart may very well fail on her. And she also knew that her baby was more like him than like her, at least physically. Her weak, human body wasn't strong enough to support the growing life inside her.

Another wave of agony swelled over her and she screamed, holding her stomach tightly in pain. "It's okay, my sweet baby. You're okay, we just need to find your daddy. He's gonna take care of you," she told her stomach, crying out in pain as the baby in her womb seemed to thrash around.

"No, no baby, its okay its okay, you just have to wait a little longer. Mommy hasn't found him yet," she cried. She noted that it had finally stopped raining as she attempted to pull her legs up to stand.

The motion caused a sharp pain in her side and she fell back to the ground in a heap. Another scream strangled its way out of her throat as she felt something tear, physically felt a rip deep inside her, reverberating through her body.

"Oh god, I'm going to die," she screamed, admitting it for the first time outload. Another brutal rip resounded through her and another blood curtling scream filled the air.

"Please! Somebody help me! Please...please!" she cried, a desperate, garbled sound, before a loud crack echoed through her.

She couldn't feel her legs anymore. Oh god, she couldn't feel her legs. "Please, somebody help me! _Please_! Oh god, my baby, somebody help my baby she can't _BREATHE_!" her cries were half delusional now, from the rush of adrenaline and dopamine flooding her body.

No one came. She was all alone and her baby was going to die. "_Please_, please someone, ANYONE?_ Please, save my baby!_" she was a sobbing, horrible mess and her stomach was being torn open. Literally, before her own eyes, her skin was being torn and shredded, blood flowing in a steady, deadly current. In the haze of the macabre scene, she saw a small, bloody hand emerge from inside her.

"Oh god, oh god, _noooo_, please somebody help me," she moaned, desperately. She watched in morbid fascination as the little body slowly crawled out from inside of her.

"My baby..." she whispered, unable to look away. She reached her arms down, pulling the little baby covered in her blood out of her body. The baby was strangely silent.

She looked at its face, and was surprised to see her own bright blue eyes looking back at her solemnly. With a quick look between its legs, she confirmed what she had known all along. "My beautiful baby girl," she cooed, all other thoughts lost before her daughter. She was perfect, beautiful.

A movement to her right drew Renee's attention away from the miracle that was her baby. A young man stood there, his mouth open in shock and horror at the scene that was before him.

A sharp sting at her breast distracted her, and she looked down to see her daughter haven bitten through the skin, lapping at the blood that flowed, contently.

Renee looked back at the man, her eyes sharp in the face of her impending death. She noticed his cold, sharp, and devastatingly beautiful features. He had not moved a single centimeter since he had come into view, not a single fucking centimeter, and his hair was tousled as though he had ran a great speed to get here. His eyes were the only thing that through her off. Instead of blood red, they were a swirling, topaz gold.

"_You_!" she hissed, pointing at him weakly, "Vampire. Vampire. Please...please take care of my baby," she pleaded with him, holding her baby close to her body. "You're the only one who can. Please. She's good, she's good and beautiful and perfect," she said reverently, as she looked down at her child in her arms with a loving smile. Her head felt hazy.

She needed to make sure her baby was safe. She turned her sharp eyes back to the vampire, who still hadn't moved an inch. "You are the only one who can! She's different; she's special. Will you take care of her?!" she demanded harshly. Her chest rose and fell, a wet noise echoing in the air everytime she took a breath. "Answer me!"

"I..I will take care of her," the man whispered, finally drawing closer to her. Renee looked into his face and swore she saw a kind, honest man.

"Promise me! Swear it on your soul," she pleaded and demanded simultaneously.

"I promise."

"_Thank you,_" she breathed with relief, looking back at her baby, who was looking back at her with those wide, beautiful blue eyes. "Thank you...for protecting Bella, my dear..._Isabella_," the words came slowly, heavily, as she gazed at her baby in wonder, her mouth slightly open.

In the echoing silence of the forest, the vampire listened as the human woman's heart slowed and then finally, shuddered its last beat.

The baby in question looked at the human woman almost questioningly for a moment, before throwing its head back and starting to cry.

**. ... .**

**Please review! I'd really like to hear what you guys think. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I am also looking for a beta reader! Let me know if you're interested. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **

**For all those who made it through that first, gruesome chapter, I wanted to provide you this in order give you a taste of what the next few chapters are going to look like. It is short in comparison to what normal chapters will be, but I have several more written after this. I want to post once a week, but we'll see how that works, with reviews and all. Bella is definitely the protagonist of this story, but I estimate at least two or three more chapters before we get a decent look into her mind. For those who found delight in the darker stuff, don't worry. There is more to come if you'll only be patient.**

**Thank you to all the people who took the time to write a review! You don't know how much I love them. xoxoxo**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight. I am but a humble fanfiction writer, and I bow to all of Stephenie Meyer's copyright laws.

**. ... .**

Carlisle Cullen prided himself on being an extraordinarily patient and gentle being. He proved this every day when he went to the hospital and worked alongside his human counterparts, healing and treating the wounds of his delicate patients.

In the nearly 350 years that he had walked this earth as a vampire, he had never once met another being that so effortlessly ground on one's nerves like that of Rosalie Hale. It was almost a gift in itself.

Sometimes, when he took a moment to himself, he thought back on his long life. Quite often, he thought back to the night when he had made the decision to change her. When he had looked at her, beaten and bloodied on the cold stone of the road, his long-dead heart had gone out to her. So much potential, so much life and beauty being wasted in red streams that flowed from her, following the cobblestone pattern of the street. It was in that moment that he had chosen to change her.

It had been one of the few choices in his life that he had made without seriously considering the consequences of. He had not considered that she might not have wanted this life, that she would have found death preferable to the life of a vampire, forever frozen in time.

It was a regret that would never truly leave him.

Of course, when she had found Emmett a few years after her change, Carlisle had seen a huge change in Rosalie. She was happier, and Emmett, with his carefree personality, helped prevent her from falling too deep into the darkness of her mind.

Even with Emmett, however, one could see that Rosalie was living a miserable existence. Her smiles were fewer than that of Hayley's Comet sightings, and her words were cold and sharp, cutting unnecessarily at some old wounds of his family.

In fact, that was why he had brought her hunting with him. Carlisle loved Rosalie as a father would a daughter, but she had been causing some noticeable tension in the Cullen household the last few years. It was not uncommon for this to happen, afterall, they were seven vampires living in one household. Their diets made it easier to coexist and build bonds with each other, but as one could imagine, seven vastly different personalities living under one roof sometimes caused unwanted strife. He was trying to breach the subject of her and Emmett taking a few years away from the rest of the family without her infamous temper rearing its ugly head.

"Really Rosalie, I understand why you're upset," he conceded calmly, "but that doesn't give you free reign to stab at old wounds. Its unnecessary and cruel."

Rosalie casted a disparaging look his way, and Carlisle could tell she was resisting the urge to role her eyes at him. "Honestly, Carlisle, it wasn't even that serious. If poor little Edward can't take what I've got to say he should learn to keep quiet about what's going on in my head. Don't shove and not expect to be pushed back."

If he were human, he would have sighed. As it was, he was not a human and resisted the urge. "The difference is is that Edward is just trying to help you, Rosalie. He understands the feelings you have about this life, having often felt similarly himself."

"I don't remember _asking_ for help, Carlisle," Rosalie hissed, "That's the thing with them! If its not Edward rifling through my every thought, its Alice predicting and seeing my every move. Hell, she even gets Jasper in on it sometimes too, shifting my emotions to 'cheer me up'. Is it too much to ask to simply leave me be?" she asked, and for a moment her voice grew weaker and a sadness crossed her eyes. "I won't mess with them if they don't mess with me."

"Rosalie, that's actually what I wanted to discuss with you," Carlisle started, when a piercing scream echoed through the forest around them.

"What was that?" Rosalie asked, as she looked around. They were deep in the forest and it was very late at night; no human should be here.

As Carlisle opened his mouth to reply, another scream reverberated through the air.

"_Please, somebody help me! Please! Oh god, my baby, somebody help my baby she can't _breathe_!"_

For a fraction of a second, he wondered what a human was doing all the way in the dense forest. They were miles away from some of the trails the humans enjoyed frequenting.

"Carlisle, there's a baby!" Rosalie exclaimed, and she took off in the direction of the cries without a second thought. Carlisle followed her immediately, wanting to help the woman however he could. He hadn't heard a human scream like that, begging and pleading with every ounce of their soul, in over a hundred years.

As they approached the continual cries and screams of the woman, his nose detected the unmistakable scent of blood. Human blood. And if he was correct, there was a lot of it.

"Rosalie, you must stay here. There's too much blood. Let me go ahead," he instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument. Rosalie nodded and stopped, having smelled the blood herself.

Carlisle continued on towards the woman and was before her in only a moment. The site that greeted him was nothing like anything he had seen in all of his life.

On the forest floor, wearing nothing but a dress made out of thin material, was a human girl. She was obviously very pregnant, and very frail looking; he could count almost every one of her ribs through the thin material she was wearing. She was unnaturally still from the waist down, as the rest of her body writhed in obvious agony.

There was blood everywhere; dripping from her nose, a single drip down her ear. Her swollen stomach was bleeding, staining the fabric of her clothes crimson in its flow.

But the most curious thing was the movement in her womb. Carlisle could see her stomach stretch and tear against the movement of the baby inside her, as though fighting to escape.

Uncharacteristically frozen in place, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing as he saw an unmistakable hand tear through the soft resistance that was the woman's flesh.

As the baby struggled its way out, the woman reached down and pulled it free before bringing it to her chest. "_My baby_," she cooed, with a strangled cry, "_My beautiful baby girl_."

Coming to his senses, Carlisle moved towards her. Her eyes snapped to him after only the slightest of his movements. The woman's eyes, though bloodshot and deleterious, were the most piercing blue he had ever seen.

"You!" she pointed at him, her voice stronger than he would have expected in her condition. "_Vampire_! _Vampire_!" She flung the word at him like a curse, and his mouth fell open in shock. How could this little slip of a woman possibly know what he was?

"Please..." she countinued, but softer and pleading. "Please take care of my baby. You're the only one who can. Please." She looked at the child in her arms with the same loving gaze he had seen from countless other mothers before her. "She's good, she's good and beautiful and perfect," she said, her voice growing weak in her reverence.

Carlisle watched as her eyes came back into focus. With purpose, her eyes snapped back to his. Confusion littered across her face for a moment when she looked closely at his face, but it passed quickly. "You are the only one who can take care of her...she's different...she's special." A wet cough racked her frame and her heart fluttered weakly. "Will you take care of her?" she pleaded.

To say that a million thoughts crashed through his mind would be almost feel like an understatement. This woman was aware of what he was; she had not said something vague like 'monster' or 'demon'. No, she definitely knew what he was without a second glance. He had also just watched as this baby in question literally tear itself out of its mother's womb. What was it? Carlisle could tell it wasn't an Immortal Child; he could easily hear its strange, fluttery heartbeat. A heartbeat that grew steadily stronger as its mother's grew weaker. It obviously wasn't completely human, either.

"Answer me!" the woman demanded harshly.

"I..." Carlisle stammered, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "I will take care of her." There was no way that he could deny the fierce protectiveness in the woman's eyes, nor the despair.

"Promise me! Swear it on your soul," she demanded, and Carlisle felt the weight of her gaze as if it pierced through him. He couldn't explain it, but for just a slight fraction of a moment, he felt hypnotized by her gaze. He floated in a sky of blue and he felt as though her very eyes possessed his soul, awaiting his oath. He didn't falter.

"I promise," he vowed.

"Thank you," she breathed, looking back at her baby. A bright smile graced the woman's features and tears spilled over her waterline as she looked back at the infant before her. Mother and child locked together in a gaze, the same bright blue eyes reflecting in the other's. Carlisle could almost swear that understanding came across the baby's face and she looked solemn, as if she was well aware of the tragedy before her.

"Thank you...for protecting Bella, my dear..._Isabella_," the words came slowly, heavily, from the mother's lips. Carlisle moved closer to the dying woman's side, knowing there was nothing that he could do for her with the extent of her injuries. Her heart wouldn't survive if he attempted to change her at this point.

It wasn't long after that that Carlisle heard the woman's heart beat one last, desperate beat before coming to a stop. She inhaled one last breath, her eyes going slightly wide, staring intently at her daughter, before exhaling weakly, life leaving her eyes.

The baby, Isabella, who had been completely silent up until that point, stared at the woman for a moment, reaching a small hand out towards her face. Carlisle observed another flash of understanding cross the baby's face, before she promptly threw her head back and proceeded to wail.

Forcing himself to power through his shock, he went to gently reach of the crying baby. He noticed instantly that the infant's skin was slightly colder than that of a human child. As he went to pick her up, he noticed another shocking development. The baby was still attached to the mother via an umbilical cord, but the cord itself was hard as a vampire's skin. He found himself unable to sever it with his hands, and was reduced to using his teeth.

Once the child was successfully free, he looked back at the woman sadly. With one hand, he slowly closed her eyes, which had been open in her death. He would have to come back to move her body later; the girl must have family, and it seemed cruel to leave her body for the animals of the forest to devour.

He ran back to Rosalie, who was only about a mile away. The baby girl in his arms continued to cry, tears leaking from her eyes and snot dribbling down her nose. Her mouth, which was open with her cries, contained a full set of gleaming teeth, with the insisors being slightly longer than what was the norm for humans. Carlisle pondered at the strange being in his arms. She was still a macabre sight to behold, with her skin coated with the dry blood of her mother.

"Carlisle! What is it? How could you tell that woman we'd take care of her baby?" she had demanded, before falling silent as she saw the baby in his arms. She looked at the little girl with wonder in her eyes.

"This child...this child is not human," he told Rosalie, who was still awestruck at the baby. "Not immortal, but not human."

"What does that mean?" Rosalie asked her voice losing its normal sarcastic edge, drawing closer to him. At first, her posture was rigid with hesitation but as her golden eyes swept across the form of the small child in Carlisle's arms, a look of adoration crossed her features. Rosalie reached for her.

"I don't know," he replied honestly, before relinquishing the child from his arms to Rosalie's awaiting grasp.

Rosalie took the child, holding her gingerly in front of her body. "Its okay, baby. You're okay, you're safe," she cooed, and Carlisle internally worried. He knew that Rosalie had always wanted to be a mother, and he worried what might become of her if this baby wasn't something beign. If this baby was like anything like the Immortal Children, he knew it would have to be destroyed.

The baby looked up at Rosalie as she spoke, its tears and cries coming to a stop almost at once. The baby's blue eyes found Rosalie's, a small hand reaching to touch the blonde's face. As soon as their skin touched, a big smile crossed the baby's features.

Rosalie moved the child to a more secure position, her head resting in the nook of Rosalie's elbow and the rest of its body being held protectively against Rosalie's chest.

A sharp ring pierced the air, and Carlisle reached into his pocket for his cell phone, opening it and holding to his ear before the first ring had finished.

"_Carlisle_?" Alice's voice carried into the night air, "_Are you okay? I saw you guys hunting and talking and then all of a sudden there was_ nothing. _Are you and Rosalie okay_?"

"Yes, Alice, we are fine. There have been some interesting developments, and we are on our way home now."

He ended the call without further ado, clicking the phone shut. No other words were spoken, as both Carlisle and Rosalie took of vampire speed to their home.

When they arrived, Rosalie split off from him to stop in the guest house, presumably to clean the baby up before introducing her to the rest of the family. That was fine with Carlisle, as he continued on to the main house.

As soon as he entered, five sets of eyes turned to face him. He held the gaze of his wife, Esme, first, unable to deny the rush of love and complete adoration he felt for her even after all these years. He was by her side in an instant, his arm drapping over her shoulders and pulling her close as he placed a light kiss on her temple.

The next set of eyes he met were Edward's, his son. In them was complete and utter shock at the events of that night.

"Carlisle, what is it?" Alice asked, sounding almost panicked. "You and Rosalie both just...disappeared from my visions. It was like you both.." the small vampire trailed off, a shiver travelling down her spine.

And so Carlisle told them, describing in detail what he had seen that night. He described the baby girl; the strange heartbeat that she had, the way her skin was harder and colder than that of a human child but still softer than theirs, how he had watched her produce tears and her full set of teeth. He also described the way that she had been born, the way he had seen the baby's very human mother be ripped to shreds in order for the baby to get free.

"The mother knew what I was. She looked at me for only the barest of moments before she said the word 'vampire'. She begged, pleaded and demanded that I take care of her baby. She said that I was the only one that could. It makes me think that she had encountered our kind before..." he said, trailing off. He observed Edward cringe as his son heard his next train of thought. "I think the baby's father was a vampire. I know it seems impossible, but I have seen many impossible things tonight."

His family was silent for a moment, but it was obvious from the pained look on Edward's face that their thoughts were anything but.

It was Jasper that spoke first.

"This is impossible! We do not know what kind of abomination this thing will become. If the Volturi catch wind of this, we will all be held accountable. It must be destroyed."

"Over my smoking ashes, Jasper," came a voice from the door. Everyone looked to see Rosalie stand near the door, holding in her arms a bundle of blankets. A quick, fluttering heartbeat could be heard from them, as well as a steady inhale and exhale of breath.

Emmett stood to go to Rosalie's side, but he froze when a warning growl escaped Rosalie's throat. Her stance was defensive as she looked around the room, as if sizing up possible threats.

"She's just a little baby. Just a baby! She is nothing like an Immortal Child. She has a heartbeat, cries, and sleeps. She is just like a human. If you aim to destroy her, you will have to destroy me first," her voice was serious as could be, and Carlisle internally sighed at the severity of the situation. For one mate to view the other as a threat was almost unheard of.

"Rosalie! Babe, you know I would never..." Emmett said, his eyes and voice reflecting the hurt he felt at Rosalie's distrust. He approached her slowly, at human pace, and Rosalie relaxed slightly, believing Emmett's words as true.

As the large man approached his mate's side, he let his eyes flash over the baby in her arms. The skin was pale and smooth, and there was a blush on its cheeks. Dark hair ghosted the top of the baby's head, and a set of bright blue eyes stared back at him, almost as though she was sizing him up just as much as he was her.

"She's beautiful," Emmett said, reaching out to touch the baby's soft cheek.

Esme could hold herself back no longer, and stood to join in viewing the baby. Rosalie growled as she approached, and Esme casted her a withering look.

"Don't you growl at me, young lady. I just want to meet the new family member," Esme explained, and Rosalie believed her instantly. If there was ever a spokesperson for motherly love, it would have been Esme. "Let me hold her," the older vampire requested, to which Rosalie hesitantly complied. Shifting the baby's weight from her arms into Esme's, she took a step back.

"Oh my goodness! If you aren't the most beautiful thing in the whole world!" Esme exclaimed when she got a good look at the baby in her arms. Rosalie smiled in agreement. "Does she have a name?" Esme asked, turning to Rosalie.

"Her name is Isabella," Carlisle said, as his wife's head turned back to him. "Her mother said so, before she died."

As soon as the words left Carlisle's mouth, Isabella's head turned to face him. Carlisle watched as her bottom lip trembled slightly, before the first cry escaped her lips. Before he knew what was happening, she was wailing in all out misery.

The baby was quickly back in Rosalie's arms as she tried to sooth the distressed child.

"She knows..." Edward said quietly, a look of shock in his face as he approached Rosalie's side. "She knows everything. She remembers being inside her mother, and the sound of her voice. She knows you were talking about her a moment ago and she's...she's sad. She knows she'll never see her mother again," Edward explained to the rest of his family.

"You can hear her thoughts?" Rosalie asked. She wasn't even aware babies had thoughts. She looked back down at the baby in her arms curiously.

"I couldn't, when you first came in. I could only hear yours..." he said, as he observed the baby curiously. "She's thirsty, by the way," he informed her.

"Thirsty as in..._thirsty_?" Rosalie asked, to which Edward nodded in confirmation.

All eyes went to Carlisle, looking for answers. The baby obviously couldn't go out and tackle a grizzly bear for lunch, so they would have to improvise.

"I'll pick up some donor blood from the hospital for now. Its the only easy solution I can think of right now, though obviously we'll have to make more plans for the future," he stated.

"I'll come with you, dear. We need to pick up a few things anyways, if we are to have a baby with us," Esme said as she went to her husband's side.

"I'm going to start shopping for clothes!" Alice squealed in excitement, as she went over to her tablet that rested upon the couch.

"That's it then?" Jasper bit out harshly, as he watched his wife in shock. "We're just going to sit around and wait for the Volturi to find that we've been harboring this abomination? We've all just excepted our deaths, just like that?"

"Enough, Jasper, " Alice said from her spot on the couch, and Jasper growled before barreling out of the door to hunt.

And that was how Isabella became a Cullen.

**. ... .**

**An introduction chapter, of sorts. I felt it was important to see how it all went down, from mostly Carlise's point of view. It really was an earth shaking experience for him, thats for sure. **

**Please let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Just fill out that little box and let me know! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **

**Thank you to all of the people that posted a review and also those who put it on your favorites or alerts. Your feedback is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I've decided that next chapter will feature our Bella and also be in her POV. **

**Also, I've got a question I'd like your feedback on. I'm debating between two different characters as a pairing for Isabella, but I'd like your input. Keep in mind that I'm looking for characters other than Edward or Jacob, but who would you like to see as Bella's mate?**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight, I make no money, and I bow to copyright laws.

**. ... .**

When Rosalie had taken Isabella to the cottage to clean off the mother's blood, she had noticed that the baby was not, in fact, completely human. Complete set of teeth aside, her skin was colder and harder than that of a human child, and it possessed a luminous quality that Rosalie had never seen before. It was nothing like Rosalie's unyielding skin that, when one applied pressure, cracked and splintered in distress. No, in comparison, the baby was much more soft and fleshy than Rosalie, and therefore she was careful to keep her touches feather soft.

Her features were different than that of normal, newborn counterparts. There was a slenderness to her face, and her eyes had a delicate slant of awareness. Her eyes were captivating. Rosalie had difficulty focusing on anything but them, what with the small baby alternating between looking at her as if looking into her soul or staring at the scene around her with an unnervingly observant manner. The sound of heartbeat fluttered throughout the room, seemingly loud in the otherwise silent cottage.

Once it was time to head to the main house, Rosalie felt a squirm of nervousness in her navel. Her gaze fell to the precious life she held in her arms, and she felt her will harden with determination. Nothing would come to harm this child, she decided. She didn't care what the others had to say about the situation. If they wanted to end this baby, they would have to end her as well.

"Its going to be okay, angel. I'll protect you," Rosalie vowed.

With that decided, she made her way to join her family. She could hear Carlisle explain the circumstances of Isabella's birth, and decided that now was as good of a time as any to make her entrance. She heard Jasper's outburst and his harsh, forbidding words of the Volturi's wrath and held back a growl. She hunched into a defensive stance, and all but growled her next sentence.

"Over my smoking ashes, Jasper."

After a couple of tense moments that included her growling at her mate and then several accepting votes of the baby's presence, things relaxed only slightly. Carlisle and Esme left to stop at the hospital and pick up supplies, Jasper tore out of the house to take his aggression on some poor mountain lion or other animal of the sort, and Emmett followed closely behind him to try talk and calm him down.

Later that night, or perhaps early morning, tensions remained high in the Cullen house. Alice and Jasper were up in their room, and Rosalie could faintly hear a hushed conversation between the two of them that mostly consisted of Alice attempting to placate him into acceptance. He didn't seem too particularly swayed; the fact that Alice hadn't been able to see a vision of their fates since they chose to accept baby Isabella into their lives wasn't helping matters.

Carlisle was in his study, and Rosalie could only assume that he was trying to find some clarity in what he had seen that night. If only he could find some similar account of Isabella's birth, he would no doubt feel better about the situation. Rosalie had little faith he would succeed. Esme, on the other hand, had begun to work relentlessly on the room that would be Isabella's. Ever the interior designer, Esme was without a doubt ecstatic over the chance to decorate a nursery.

Edward was up in his room, and a quiet tinkle of classical music filtered down into the living room that Rosalie now sat, staring at the little bundle in her arms in wonder. There lay a sleeping Isabella, her soft cheeks flushed after her first feeding. It was unbelievable how soft and fragile the baby felt in her arms. Her mate, Emmett was sitting across from her on the opposite couch, watching her intently.

"I've never seen you like this, Rose," he said, with a smile. "You look so happy."

Emotion caught her throat as she made to reply, "I am happy, Emmett...I mean, look at her," she gestured to the baby in her arms. "She's so sweet and innocent, Emmett. She's just a little, defenseless baby...I have to protect her. I have to, because I love her. I love her already, and I will do anything in my power to keep her safe," she vowed.

Emmett knew that his wife's words rang with one hundred percent truth. He had always known that she craved and hungered for a child. Now that she had gotten one, she would walk through the flames of hell to keep her. Of this, Emmett had no doubt.

"She'll be fine, babe," he said as he moved over to the seat beside her. He looked down at the sleeping babe in her arms, Emmett felt a warmth flood his chest. "We'll make sure of it, I promise."

With those words, Rosalie looked up at him to see the honesty in his eyes, then back down at the bundle in her arms. For the first time in her long life she felt a warm sense of wholeness. Her family was complete.

**. ... .**

Days passed almost too quickly for Rosalie's taste, and with them grew a nervous uncertainty in her chest.

Isabella was perfect, according to Carlisle. She was healthy and content, and the only problem was her growth rate. Over the course of two weeks, she had grown almost two inches in height, gained five pounds in weight, and her hair had grew an inch and a quarter longer. Every day, Carlisle took her into his office, with Rosalie standing protectively over his shoulder, and took her measurements.

Another strange development was Edward's apparent lack of ability to hear Isabella's mind.

"What do you mean you can't hear her?" Rosalie asked as she stood over Isabella, who was laying on the changing table. She wrinkled her nose at the putrid smell of the baby's diaper. For someone who drank O negative exclusively, she sure could reek. "You've heard her plenty of times. You always seem to be able to know what she wants when she's hungry or wants a changing," she said the last part with a mild wrinkle of her nose.

"That's just it, Rosalie. It seems like when she's _wants_ something, I _can_ hear her. But when she's calm and content...there's nothing. Not just vague emotions that don't really have a thought process like most babies have but...nothing. Completely silent. Its unnerving."

At that point, Isabella chose to let out a cute little giggle, waving her arms in front of her face in apparent glee. Rosalie, completely smitten by the display, quickly finished replacing her diaper and disposed of the used one before returning to tickle the baby's stomach.

"You think that's funny, baby?" Rosalie cooed as Isabella continued her happy playing. Isabella seemed to enjoy when they used vampire speed around her. "You think its funny that Edward can't hear your mind? Or is it because I'm stuck changing your dirty nappies?!" Rosalie tickled Isabella's stomach lightly with the last words, and the baby let out a squeal of happiness, a much higher pitch than a human newborn would be able to reach.

Emmett winced at the sound. "How are we going to explain her?" he asked. "I mean, this is Forks. People are going to ask questions. I suppose we could keep her inside.." he trailed off.

"I think for the most part, we need to keep her hidden for now. It wouldn't due well to expose her to the human world just yet; her rate of growth is too fast and it would be obvious to them that she isn't quite human," she explained. "Besides, we still have to consider that her...father might be out there somewhere, looking for her right now," Rosalie had a difficult time using the word 'father' to describe the man that left the baby's mother bleeding and alone in the forest.

Esme chose that moment to make her way down the staircase, making her way to join the group of her adopted children. "Rosalie, let me have my turn with little Bella. I want to see how she looks in her bassinet," she requested, holding her arms out for Rosalie to hand the baby over.

Rosalie complied, and watched as Esme took Isabella from her grasp. Isabella reached her arms out to the other woman, and giggled happily when Esme tickled her lightly before securing her in her arms.

Rosalie watched as Esme and Isabella ascended the stairs, before she followed and took a left in the direction of Carlisle's office. Knocking lightly on the door, more out of courtesy and habit since he had certainly _heard_ her approach, she waited only a fraction of a second before he called for her to enter.

"Carlisle," she said in way of greeting. The sight of him disturbed her, for he looked like a man who had seen a ghost. Even for a vampire, he seemed pale, making the light purple bruises under his eyes stand out more dramatically. His eyes, while still reflecting the calm, structured man that she knew and respected, also spoke of anguish and guilt. The tips of his fingers shook, ever so slightly.

"Rosalie. How can I help you?" he asked, his voice strong. Had she been human, she knew that she would have missed these subtle abnormalities of his behavior, but being as she was not-

"Carlisle, there was nothing you could have done for that woman," she said bluntly, as was her speciality. It didn't take a mind reader to know what had been tormenting him so for the past fortnight. Upstairs, she heard a small huff from Edward, and she resisted the urge to smirk at his response to her thoughts. "She was too weak by the time you reached her. I could hear her heart too, and it was far too weak to survive the change."

Carlisle was silent, choosing to stare down at the leather-bound book that was currently resting on his desk. Rosalie could see it from where she stood near the window, but it was written in a language she wasn't familiar with. "I'm well aware that any attempts to save her would have ultimately been futile, Rosalie. In fact, it would have prolonged the poor girl's agony and been a horrible way to end her life. I am well aware of this. But being aware and acceptance are two very different things." He chose that moment to close his book gently, returning it to one of the various shelves in the room.

Rosalie wasn't quite sure what to say, but was saved from saying anything when Carlisle continued his train of thought. "It was like nothing you have ever seen. I watched as a little girl no older than eighteen was ripped open from the inside, and shredded to pieces. There was so much blood..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly, as if trying to rid himself of the image. Rosalie recalled in perfect clarity how strong the scent of the young woman's blood had been in the air, so tantalisingly rich and warm, and the mere memory made her throat burn lightly. She would never forget, and was absolutely certain that Carlisle never would, either. "When I looked into her eyes, though, I didn't see pain...I saw a mother desperate to save her child, a woman desperate to the bottom of her soul. It was a look I have only seen once, many years ago..."

"I can understand her desperation," Rosalie said evenly.

At that, Carlisle chuckled, though there was no humor in the sound. "Yes, I suppose you would," he conceded, "but that only leaves to question the child herself. I have never seen something like this in all my years, and I'm not ashamed to admit that its left me rather shaken."

"Her growth rate is unprecedented," Rosalie agreed, "She is only two weeks old, but in comparison to human babies, she looks to be about a month. She waves her hands and feet often, flexing her little fingers and toes," she recalled, a rush of fondness flooding her at the memory. "Her mental capacity seems to be rather advanced. She seems to be aware of the conversations and the environment around her." If Rosalie were being perfectly honest, she was dreadfully frightened at the rate of Isabella's development. It was an unspoken fear, hovering in the darkest recess of her mind.

_How long would they have with her?_

"Yes, while her general development is astonishing, I must admit that its not the mechanics of her situation that concerns me, but rather the _nature_ of it. How did she come to exist? She is such a strange combination of human and vampire. Her diet is that of blood, but her bodily functions are quite human. Where we have no heartbeat, hers is fast as a hummingbird; where we have no need to breathe, she has to in order to oxidize her blood. She sleeps, perhaps even dreams," he said the last part with a whisper, almost reverent. He seemed enthralled with the idea of living, breathing, vampire child. "But there are, as discussed, many similarities to us. How I wish we had been able to save her mother; she could have given us much insight into the nature of Isabella's condition. To be honest, I never put a thought into if our two species would be genetically compatible. I suppose its not too far outside the realm of possibility, after all, we were all human at one point. And I suppose, with a human mother, their bodies have the capacity to adapt and change-even with violent ends," he said the last part darkly.

"I think rather than pondering the mystery that is the little brat's biology, we should focus on the more pressing matter that is it's paternity, " came a lilting, southern drawl from the doorway of Carlisle's study.

Rosalie's eyes snapped to Jasper, narrowing slightly as she looked at the man. Until recently, he had been her favorite of all her adopted siblings. Since the arrival of Isabella, however, he had become almost her nemesis; the ultimate threat to her child. While everyone else's opinion of the young child ranged from grudging acceptance to adoration, Jasper continued to look at the baby like she was an abhorrent blight upon their family. She let out a low growl at his unannounced presence.

"Rosalie," Carlisle said warningly. He was increasingly distressed over the suddenly volatile relationship between the two. Noticing the piece of paper Jasper held in his hands, which were clasped behind his back. "What have you got there, son?"

Jasper approached Carlisle's desk, keeping one eye trained on Rosalie at all times as he tossed the newspaper in front of his coven leader. Rosalie, to her credit, did not move an inch, knowing that if she did her aggression might get the best of her and result in blows, and looked at the article in question from her neutral position by the window. She did not have to read farther than the headline to get the gist of it.

**_MISSING GRANDDAUGHTER OF LOCAL COUPLE FOUND DEAD, MAULED IN THE FOREST_**

The article, Carlisle read, went in to give details of how the body was found only a short distance from a well-traveled trail, seemingly dragged there from other areas unknown. It described, in minimum detail, the mangled description of her injuries, blaming the extensive injuries as a result of an animal attack. In it, he learned the young girl's name, Renee Higginbotham. She had only just turned eighteen. His long-still heart ached with the pain of what might have been. If only he had gotten there sooner, or if he had done something other than stand frozen stupid in shock. Shame and guilt ate away at his chest, and he pushed the paper away abruptly.

"I think we should go and investigate the house she had been staying at," Jasper said, choosing to ignore the tumultuous feelings coming from his leader. The life of an empath was one of constant balance, learning to observe the emotions of the people around you without letting them affect you personally. For the most part, Jasper was quite successful doing this using the skills he had developed in Maria's army. When it came to Carlisle's emotions however, it was difficult. He genuinely respected and liked Carlisle; while sometimes his attitude could come off as slightly holier-than-thou, Jasper knew it was because of other people's interpretation, not any malice on Carlisle's part. The man was a living capsule of mercy and compassion, two characteristics that vampires rarely possessed. "On the off chance that the...child's father visited the mother there, we might be able to detect his scent, and see if it's familiar," he finished.

"Yes...that is a good idea, son. Edward," Carlisle said, his eyes turning upward towards the northwest side of the house. He was talking to his other son now, who could easily hear him despite the fact Carlisle didn't raise his voice. "Would you mind going with Jasper to see if you could pick up any stray thoughts from the humans in the area?"

"Of course," was the quiet reply. With that, Jasper exited the room and Rosalie heard Edward meet up with him downstairs. Listening to the sound of their retreating steps, Rosalie couldn't shake the ominous feeling that shivered down her spine.

Deciding that she had enough of this for the day, she bid goodbye to Carlisle before exiting the room in search for Isabella.

**. ... .**

Weeks passed quickly, and though soon it was to be winter, autumn seemed slow in retreating that year. The leaves had long fallen from the trees, but the air was still crisp and fresh during the day, the chill only creeping in when the sun set.

Isabella resembled more of a toddler than a baby now, growing longer and more proportionate to that of a small child. Her hair fell down from her head in loose ringlets, reaching just below her small shoulders. Esme, Rosalie, and Alice spent a good majority of their time planning outfits and taking pictures. Due to Isabella's enhanced growth rate, they took tons of pictures, attempting to make it look like it spanned months rather than weeks.

Though Jasper and Edward had detected the faint scent of vampire in Isabella's mother's room, neither were familiar with the scent. In result, the group had created a schedule for patrols around the perimeter of their property. Their efforts in that front had been similarly in vein, as there had been not a peep of any mysterious vampire in the area.

Almost hesitantly, a sense of calm enveloped most of the Cullen family. All the females in the house simply doted upon Isabella, and while the men seemed hesitant to be around her alone, Carlisle, Emmett, and occasionally Edward could be seen playing with the small child throughout the day. Only Jasper, unyielding as ever, remained staunchly opposed to baby's presence.

One day, Rosalie had taken Isabella outside to enjoy the sunlight that occasionally peeked through the clouds. Rosalie sat her down upon a blanket, and Isabella watched the leaves as they blew in the wind, waving her arms happily. Rosalie, sitting opposite of her to give her room to crawl about if she wanted, watched the young girl with a mix of adoration and worry. Only a week ago, Isabella had sat up and looked around all on her own. A few days after that, she had begun to crawl, and proceeded from that point on to explore the entire house on her hands and knees.

Rosalie sighed. Isabella was growing so quickly, and with the way she was going, Rosalie knew that it wouldn't be long before the young girl would be walking and talking.

A small gasp came from the small body beside her, and Rosalie immediately snapped alert. Isabella was a remarkably silent child; just another eccentricity that Rosalie accepted and was grateful for, to be honest. She never cried, or fussed, really. Other than the first night when Isabella had cried, the only sound she had ever heard from Isabella was the girl's high pitched laughter.

Rosalie relaxed slightly when she realized the source of Isabella's surprise. The sun peaked through the clouds around them, and Rosalie's skin sparkled wildly.

Rosalie stayed perfectly still, allowing the young Isabella to observe her. The look on her face was one of complete awe and wonder as she watched the rainbows dancing off of Rosalie's skin. She shifted herself, turning on her bottom to observe Rosalie more clearly.

And then the strangest of things happened. If Rosalie weren't completely assured in her total recall capabilities, she might have doubted what she was observing. Isabella spread her arms as if to balance herself, and then seemed to simply _float_ to stand upon her feet. It was as though she were propelled by an invisible force, and it was Rosalie's turn to look on in shock and awe, for as easily as the young child had found her footing did she take the three small steps across the blanket to reach for her. She was graceful where normal babies would have fallen, before coming to a stop in front of Rosalie. She reached to touch Rosalie's sparkling cheek with her soft hand.

Rosalie inhaled sharply, and if she were human she would have cried. Isabella's first steps should not have come as such a surprise, as she had been thinking about the inevitability of it only moments prior. But for it to come so swiftly and with such ease on Isabella's part was concerning. Pushing these thoughts away, Rosalie allowed herself to take a little satisfaction that Isabella's first steps had been reaching for _her_.

As she was processing this, Rosalie noted a look of frustration on Isabella's face. She was looking back and forth from Rosalie's skin and her own as if upset that her skin didn't sparkle as well. Instead, her skin had an incandescent quality to it, as if she absorbed the light and shined back in response. It was beautiful, and must less ostentatious than sparkling, in Rosalie's vain way of thinking. Her baby was beautiful, the perfect mix between species. She was a miracle. Not to mention she would be able to blend in a lot easier with humans than any vampire would be able to.

Reaching for the Isabella's tiny hand, Rosalie placed a light kiss on her fingertips. "You're beautiful, Isabella. You're more beautiful than I could ever hope to be."

**. ... .**

With Isabella's first steps came many more. Now that she had gotten the hang of such things, it was almost difficult to keep track of her around the house. The others had felt similarly to Rose's first reaction, as it was disconcerting for a child that was only two and a half months old to look like that of a six month old and be able to walk around as if she had been doing it out of the womb. She was incredibly light on her feet, and though Rosalie could tell wherever Isabella was in the house by the steady beat of her heart, her footsteps were silent and confident.

Carlisle continued with his daily examinations, he and Rosalie evermore concerned about the nature of Isabella's condition. Her growth rate seemed to be increasing rapidly, and Carlisle correlated this with a steady increase of her body temperature. When she had been born, her temperature had been slightly colder than that of a human baby, but Carlisle had chalked that up to her apparent lineage. Now though, Isabella's skin raged like that of an inferno, at least in comparison to Carlisle's frozen flesh. He estimated that Isabella's temperature ran about one hundred and three degrees Fahrenheit when she was awake, and about one hundred and seven when she slept. It was during her sleeping hours that most of her growth occurred, and it was fascinating to watch. With enhanced vampire vision, one could observe the slow lengthening of her small frame and her flowing hair, as well as the subtle changes along the planes of her delicate face.

As she continued to grow, so did her thirst for blood. By no means was she _bloodthirsty_, for on a few occasions Alice and Rosalie(and Jasper, on the first trip) had decided to venture out and take Isabella on day trips to Seattle and Isabella had been able to behave perfectly respectably around humans. Though Jasper had informed the family that there had been desire from the child to taste the humans, in the end, she showed restraint. In fact, according to the girls, she even allowed some of the human women to pick her up and then proceeded to properly charm them senseless with her baby blues and soft smiles.

It was a relief that though Isabella had not yet spoken, she seemed to have a basic sense of morality. She handled the humans with the utmost care, and even when they had cradled her face to their necks, she had not slipped up. It was a huge weight lifted off of Carlisle's conscience.

Once Isabella began attempting to sneak out of the house, Emmett had decided to start teaching Isabella how to hunt. Though the girl had yet to speak, she seemed to understand what Emmett had been saying when he had explained the basics of it.

"Alright you little monster, are you ready to go get us some lunch?" Emmett asked, bouncing from foot to foot in anticipation, most likely trying to rile Isabella up.

A small smile graced Isabella's delicate features, but it seemed reluctant and forced. She halfheartedly jumped back and forth between her feet, seeming to want to appease Emmett.

Emmett either didn't notice or pretended not to, picking her up and slinging her over his shoulders before taking off. Though Isabella was faster and more graceful than a human, she didn't compare to vampires in regards to speed. She also did not possess the endless endurance that vampires had, and eventually she would have to stop. That wouldn't do for this excursion, for Emmett wanted to travel a great distance to avoid any potential humans. If they came across one once she began to hunt, he wasn't sure if she would have the same cozy reaction to them as she had on her day trips.

He smelled a herd of deer nearby, and came to a silent stop downwind from them. Emmett looked over at Isabella, whose little face was next to his, resting on his shoulder.

"You ready, kid?" He whispered, loud enough for only her to hear. She nodded, releasing his neck and landing to the ground silently. She observed the herd silently, looking at them with uncertainty.

Emmett rushed forward, snagging two males before they had a chance to realize he was there. The rest of them thundered away, and the two that he had in his grasp grunted and wheezed helplessly.

"Come here, kid," Emmett called out to Isabella, who appeared from thd treeline, obviously wary. She approached, eyeing the deer distastefully.

"Yeah, I know. They don't smell the greatest but they're food. Now watch and learn," he said as he quickly and effortlessly snapped the neck of one of the deer. "Normally, you don't want to kill them before you feed. The blood tastes better when the heart is still beating. It'll be easier for you to do it this way, at least at first," he explained. "The best place to feed from is the neck. You'll want to bite rather gently, and try not to move your head too much as it'll tear the skin and get blood everywhere."

Isabella looked at him strangely, and he took that as a sign to proceed and show her how it was done. With only mild distaste, he bit cleanly into the neck of his deer, still alive, and quickly drained the animal.

Watching him, Isabella slowly lowered herself to the deer's neck, biting hesitantly through the skin. She gulped once, before pulling her mouth away in disgust. Emmett watched as she spat the blood out onto the forest floor before flinging the carcass away from her.

She spun to face Emmett, her features reflecting the revulsion that she felt. She opened her mouth, and before he realized what was happening, spoke.

"I am _certainly not_ eating that."

**. ... .**

**Please review! Don't forget to tell me who you'd like to see as Isabella's partner! Also, I'm looking for a beta reader! Let me know if you're interested. **


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